Wildflowers From WinterKatie Ganshert{Book Review}

Title: Wildflowers From Winter

Author: Katie Ganshert

Genre: Fiction - Christian Romance

Pages: 320

My Rating: 5☆

Synopsis: Like the winter, grief has a season. Life returns with the spring.

(From the publisher) "A young architect at a prestigious Chicago firm, Bethany Quinn, has built a life far removed from her trailer park teen years. Until an interruption from her estranged mother reveals that tragedy has struck in her hometown and a reluctant Bethany is called back to rural Iowa. Determined to pay her respects while avoiding any emotional entanglements, she vows not to stay long. But the unexpected inheritance of farmland and a startling turn of events in Chicago forces Bethany to come up with a new plan.

Handsome farmhand Evan Price has taken care of the Quinn farm for years. So when Bethany is left the land, he must fight her decisions to realize his dreams. But even as he disagrees with Bethany’s vision, Evan feels drawn to her and the pain she keeps so carefully locked away.

For Bethany, making peace with her past and the God of her childhood doesn’t seem like the path to freedom. Is letting go the only way to new life, love and a peace she’s not even sure exists?"

What I Loved: I loved how raw and real this book was. I was in tears within the first few chapters. Katie Ganshert is most certainly not afraid to expose the gritty reality of life's not-so-glamorous tendencies. It's amazing to know that this is a debut novel! Ganshert writes like a seasoned pro. Her characters didn't seem like characters at all, but rather real people going through real trials with more than real emotional struggles. She has an amazing knack for detail and descriptiveness. I will absolutely be reading any and all other books published by this gem of an author.

What I Wasn't So Fond Of: The only thing that left me wanting more was the ending. (If you've read any of my other reviews, then you know I'm a tough critic on endings. I always want more.) But *then* I went to Katie's webpage to do a little more studying up before I wrote my review, and to my most pleasant surprise, Mrs. Ganshert has an entire page of "bonus features" related to the novel. This would include in-depth profiles for three of the main characters, a wonderfully light-hearted interview with two of the MCs, a continuation of the ending (*gasp* what?? I was immediately in love. I had to write that in bold and italics because I can't even contain my excitement!), fun facts, real-life stories and inspirations and much, much, much more! Any doubts that I'd previously had about this novel immediately melted away and were replaced with excitement and eagerness to read more from this incredible author!

I couldn't be happier with my reading experience, and I absolutely look forward to reading more from Katie Ganshert!

About The Author
(From the author): I’m a slightly-frazzled, ever-inquisitive Midwest gal who’s passionate about Jesus, my family, writing, and all things romance, which is exactly what I write. Stories about flawed, broken characters who find faith and fall in love. When I’m not plotting ways to get my hero and heroine to cross paths, I enjoy watching movies with my hunk of a husband, playing make-believe with my wild-child of a son, hanging out with the crazy but lovable junior high students at my church, and chatting with my girlfriends at Panera®. I could talk books all day and am often spotted around town pushing a stroller, walking my dog, and reading—all at the same time.

*author bio taken from katieganshert.com

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*I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group as part of their Blogging for Books program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Let's Talk Tattoos

Don't worry, I'm not going to get into the specifics of what the Bible says about tattoos and whether or not we, as Christians, are allowed to have them.

However, I myself have one! In fact, it has a wonderfully deep and personal meaning to me. So that, ladies and gentlemen, is what this blog post will be all about.

When someone finds out that I have a tattoo, the first question they ask me is "Did it hurt?" to which I respond, "Yes, but not nearly as bad as I was expecting!"
The second question is usually, "What does it mean?" or "Why did you decide to get a moon?"

So why don't I start off by showing you the verse that inspired the ink:

In picture form of course! (Because pictures are more fun for everyone)

Now let me provide for you the wonderful insight that my study Bible has to offer on this particular verse:

" 'The darkness can never extinguish it (has not overcome it)' means the darkness of evil never has and never will overcome God's light. Jesus Christ is the Creator of life, and His life brings light to humankind. In His light, we see ourselves as we really are (sinners in need of a Savior). When we follow Jesus, the true Light, we can avoid walking blindly and falling into sin. He lights the path ahead of us so we can see how to live. He removes the darkness of sin from our lives." (on John 1:5 in the Life Application Study Bible NLT)

So what does all of that mean to me? And even still, why a moon? Doesn't the moon represent darkness and nighttime?

Absolutely not.

To me, the moon represents the light shining in the darkness. The ever-so-slight gleaning of light that gives beauty and hope to a world covered by a blanket of hopelessness and tragedy.

In short, my moon represents my God. It represents His ever-present hope and shelter in my life. Even when I've turned my back on him completely.

I've walked through portions of my life that I sometimes wish I could re-write. But God carried me through it all. No matter how dark my life became, He was always there shining His light of love and hope into my world.

I can't express how thankful I am that He is a patient God!

Not only that, but my moon also represents my connection and personal relationship with God.

If you know me well, then you know that I absolutely love anything to do with outer space and stars (planets too!) and how beautiful the sky is at night when it's painted with little twinkling lights.

If you have ever had a conversation with me about any of these things, then I probably spoke this sentence to you: "When I look up at the sky at night, and I see the vastness of it all and the beauty of the Heavens, I can't help but feel an instant and powerful connection with God."

It's like in that moment, I feel at peace. I know that my Savior is standing right there with me admiring His creation.

It almost brings me to tears.

If you have the time, I absolutely recommend checking out this video of a wonderful speaker by the name of Louie Giglio entitled "How Great Is Our God"

P.S. It's about stars!

I wish that I had more to write, or more beautiful words to use to describe what I already have to you, but hopefully what I have written will give you some idea of what my tattoo means to me. And just exactly why I love it so much.

So in the mean time, why don't you check out a few of these pictures and let yourself be amazed by God's creation!

P.S. Do you have any tattoos? If so, what do they mean to you?
Leave your response in the comment section below!

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No Condemnation(R.E.S.P.E.C.T)<--In My Best ArethaFranklin Voice

This post may get mixed reviews. I may make some people slightly uncomfortable, but in the words of Gianna Jessen, "I wasn't put here to make people comfortable. I was put here so that I could shake things up a bit."

I try not to get overly-involved in political matters because nothing seems to stir up hatred and anger like talking politics does. I will happily share my views and beliefs (both political and non-political [my faith] ) with anyone who asks, and I believe that we are called to spread the good news of Christ (Mark 16:15), but it breaks my heart to see believers cutting down other people because of their difference in beliefs. I'm not talking religion here, I'm talking politics. That's right, I'm dipping my toes in this boiling hot pit of political lava. But hey, God saved Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace, so what do I really need to be afraid of? (Daniel 3:19-29)

I'll be honest with you, I don't fully agree with many of the standards of left-wing libertarianism (i.e. abortion), but I also don't agree with what seems to often accompany right-wing conservatism (i.e. slandering & belittling). It seems that often, right-wing conservatives spend much of their time defending their beliefs by way of belittling and talking down to others instead of embracing what they believe. (Titus 3:9)

Christians: We are called to love...unconditionally. That means we are supposed to share God's love with the "liberals," the "conservatives," the "independents," and even those who don't bother with politics. Jesus himself said "Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." John 13:34-35

I've seen self-proclaimed Christians post pictures and statuses on Facebook and various other places on the internet all but screeching out their hatred for anyone who doesn't share their views.

Just because the Constitution declares separation of church and state doesn't mean our hearts have to.

We shouldn't separate Christ from anything in our lives. Even our political views. Politics are a dangerous thing; they're a breeding ground for hatred and contempt; so we should tread lightly and keep our eyes fixed on God. After all, He is the only true ruler. "...I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth." Matthew 28:18

No matter who our current president or "ruler" is, we can't forget who is really in control. Not Obama, not Congress, not even the IRS (though they seem to be controlling my paychecks pretty well :P). But remember what I said earlier about being called to love everyone? You wanna take a little guess at who that includes? Thaaaat's riiiight...That includes Obama, Congress, and even *gasp* the folks over at the IRS.

"Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God's servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God's servants, sent for the purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but to keep a clear conscience.

Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority." Romans 13:1-7

If we feel that someone isn't doing their God-appointed job correctly, then instead of spending our time trash-talking them, we should spend time in prayer; asking God to provide wisdom and direction to the ones that hold earthly positions of authority (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

It's okay to disagree. We're human, and we won't all always agree on everything, but one thing that we can do is treat each other with the loving kindness and respect that God has graciously given us.

"Respect everyone, and love your brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect The King."

1 Peter 2:17

*I hope that I haven't offended anyone with this post. That was not my intention.

My sole intention was to allow God to open the eyes of others and myself through the words that I believe He has spoken to my heart.*

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Undeserved & Unreserved(How He Loves)

The other day, my roommate and I were talking about life and God and where we fit in in His grand scheme of things; and she brought up an interesting point...She looked at me, and she said, "You know, when something bad happens to me, I think 'God must be punishing me for doing this or for doing that,' and I forget that God actually loves me."

Her words hit me pretty hard because I have the same problem. I often find myself falling into the mindset of 'if I mess up, God is going to be mad at me.' But if I put all of my eggs into the self-righteous basket, then I'm missing the big message; the message that Jesus himself came to the world to share: God's love and grace are undeserved and unreserved. There's nothing that we can do to deserve His love (We would only fall discouragingly short if we tried), and there is nothing that we can do to make Him love us any more or less than He does.

His love is fierce, it's overwhelming, and it's forgiving.

One of my favorite songs, How He Loves (originally written and performed by John Mark McMillan) captures the immensity of God's awe-inspiring love wonderfully.

*Note: This video contains graphic violent content*

After watching those clips combined with that song, I was weak in the knees and had tears welling up in my eyes. Sometimes I tell people that God's love makes me want to laugh and cry uncontrollably at the same time. This video does that for me. There's just something about seeing Christ's sacrifice played out in front of my very eyes that puts it all into perspective for me, and then I realize how much He truly loves us; how He loves me.

Surrender

[suh-ren-der]

v. To give oneself up, as into the power of another; submit or yield.

Love

[luhv]

n. A profoundly tender, passionate affection for another.

We don't often tie the words 'love' and 'surrender' together, but it's as if they were created for each other. We have to surrender to the love of Christ to fully experience it. I learned this particular lesson the hard way (I don't think any other methods of learning have ever worked for me). I tried so hard to be worthy of God's love, and I kept coming up short. Not just by a little, but by light years. And finally, after 20+ years of trying, I'm just starting to realize that God's love isn't something that we earn or work for, it's something that we surrender to.

It doesn't matter how beaten down you are, or how lost you think you might be, God loves you! I really can't express enough how exciting that is. If I could stand on top of a mountain, with the world as my audience, and shout, "He loves us! He loves you! His love is never ending!" I would. I literally feel no shame for my faith. I want the whole world to know how He loves.

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Clouds//Robin Jones Gunn{Book Review}

Title: Clouds

Author: Robin Jones Gunn

Genre: Fiction - Contemporary Women

Pages: 288

My Rating: 4☆

Synopsis: She remembers their childhood with longing, and their parting with regret.

(From the publisher) "This bestselling former Palisades release is book five in the new Glenbrooke series by award-winning author Robin Jones Gunn. Shelly Graham has moved home to Seattle, where she's flooded with memories of her high school sweetheart, who took off for Europe after they broke up. But when Shelly travels to Germany, she suddenly runs into the former boyfriend who has filled her thoughts. Learning that Jonathan is engaged, Shelly hides her feelings for him. After returning home, however, she must face these feelings, especially after her path crosses Jonathan's yet again. Only this time, if they can find the strength to be honest, they just might discover what God has in store."

What I Loved: I loved the gentle yet powerful love displayed in this book not just in the love-interest aspect of the novel, but in Shelly's ever-growing relationship with God. Robin Jones Gunn sure does know how to intertwine God's love in with a great romantic love story. In this book, she finds a wonderful balance, and delves into the main character's relationship with God on a much deeper level than many of the previous books in the series.

What I Wasn't So Fond Of: I felt as though some parts seemed to drag on a bit too long, and I would have loved a bit more interaction between Shelly and Jonathan, especially closer to the end. Once again, my biggest complaint is the feeling of a rushed ending. I find that I've been left wanting a bit more at the end of each of the books in the Glenbrooke series. I wish the author would give the ending the detail that she gives to the rest of the book.

Rushed endings aside, Clouds is an exceptional read, and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking to experience the love of God tied into a complicated-yet-beautiful relationship between two childhood sweethearts.


About The Author
Robin Jones Gunn is the best selling Christian author of over 82 books including several series aimed at teen girls as well as Christian fiction for older women and a few non-fiction books. Her books have sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide.
In addition to teen fiction, Robin is known for her women's Christian romance series "Glenbrooke" and the "Sisterchicks" series.

*author bio taken from Wikipedia

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*I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group as part of their Blogging for Books program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

When Will The Peace Come?

A friend of mine recently posted a heartfelt/heart wrenching question on Facebook that began with "At what point does the peace come?..." Her question really got me thinking. At what point does the peace come? The simplest answer to that question is this: When we allow it.

I know as well as anyone how it feels to be restless and uneasy; to be anxious and beaten down by life's seemingly inescapable stresses. We allow ourselves to buy into the lies that we can't be happy right now; that we have to achieve something or reach a certain point to attain the happiness that we desire. But the simple fact of the matter is that that is just not true. We have all the peace and happiness that we need right at the tips of our fingers. Isn't Christ the Prince of Peace? (Isaiah 9:6) All that we have to do is reach out to Him for comfort. For peace.

The catch is this: God knows what's best for us right now and always. Right? Right. So when we go to Him for comfort, instead of saying, "God, I'm miserable. I can't find peace, and I need it. I need you to give it to me, and this is what I need you to do to bring me peace," we need to say, "God, I have nowhere else to turn but to turn to you. I need peace, and I know that only you can give me true peace. Please calm my restless heart, and put my soul at peace with whatever your plan is for me. I know that you know best."

Did you notice the difference? Instead of begging and pleading with God to give us what we want because we just know that one thing or those many things will bring us the happiness that our hearts crave, we have to come to God with open hearts, willing to receive His peace along with His plan.

We all say that we trust God, but how many of us truly mean what we say? It's taken me a long time to allow my plans to melt away, making room for God's plans to shine through (and I still struggle with that immensely from time to time), but once I did, it was like a mountain was lifted off of my shoulders and I was no longer carrying the burden of my desires.

God loves us. Let Him show us His love through His plans. Then we will know peace.

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
-Philippians 4:7

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When The Flames Turn To Embers

The other day I was reading through a few different blogs just for fun, and I came across a post by Heirs With Christ entitled When Jesus Doesn't Dazzle. My heart fluttered a little when I read it because that's exactly how I've been feeling lately (By the way, you should really need to read that post. Rachel explains the numb-undazzled feeling much better than I do). I've been feeling numb and apathetic lately. I still read my Bible and pray everyday, yet my heart hasn't felt the blazing wildfire that it once did. There's no particular reason that comes to my mind to explain why this is; except that I haven't been keeping my focus on the light of the world, Jesus. I've filled my life with so many time consuming things that are completely meaningless without the one thing that I've been pushing to the side. I keep telling myself that one day, it'll all just come back to me; one day I'll feel the love and amazement that once set my soul on fire. But do you want to know something? You might want to take a screenshot of this, because I hate admitting it...I'm wrong. Life won't fix itself, problems won't sort themselves out, and a broken and bruised heart won't mend its own tattered flesh.

Something has to be done to let the enemy know that they cannot come like a thief in the night to take my heart from its rightful owner. I wear proudly, the seal of God upon my forehead (Ephesians 1:13). It cannot be removed. Just as I cannot be removed from the arms of my beloved Father (John 10:28-30).

I'm sure you've all at one time or another heard the expression that "God is a gentleman." It's true. He is the kindest, most lovingly patient gentleman that the universe has to offer. The depth of His patience knows no end (Romans 2:4). No matter how many times we turn from Him, He waits placidly (I imagine with a grin on his face) for us to realize that we've trapped ourselves, and the only way out is up. He calls out to us softly through the fog of sin that stands between us and Him. But our ears are muffled by our own hands. We refuse to hear our sins spoken aloud. He reaches out to lovingly touch our shoulder, but we've numbed ourselves to the touch of Christ. We won't allow ourselves to pay attention to the displays of grace before us. So God waits. After all, He knows when the time will be. He knows when the ice will melt from our hearts, and we will once again be set ablaze with His love.

It's the patience that is so incredible. God won't force Himself upon us. He gives us the choice. It's up to us to turn our hearts toward Him, and allow Him to wash the grime from our blackened hearts.

Something has to change within me. I have to make the decision to keep my eyes fixed on Him.

Don't give up on God. He will never give up on you (Deuteronomy 31:6).

I'm saying this not just for you, but for myself. I have to constantly remind myself that just because I don't feel dazzled by Christ, doesn't mean He no longer loves me, or that I'm hopeless. It just means my heart needs a change of direction, and my eyes need to focus not on the things of this earth, but on the things of Heaven (Colossians 3:1).

I will never leave you nor forsake you

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